TIM Wade did not want any pomp or circumstance when he retired as Bradford & District Golf Union team captain.

However, having been in charge from 1990-2000 and 2004-16, there was little chance that his team members would let the 72-year-old slip quietly into the sunset.

Not when the skipper has guided the team to three Yorkshire Inter-District League titles (1996, 2006, 2010) and four Yorkshire Inter-District Six-Man Team Championships (1992, 1993, 1997, 2007).

Team member Dane Bairstow collected tributes to Wade on a large congratulatory card at the Union's annual dinner at the Midland Hotel and he was presented with that and an Amazon voucher at the Union's annual meeting at Northcliffe Golf Club.

The Union's golf committee chairman Howard Thorpe, who was taught the game by Wade's dad Jim, said: "Tim is one of the old school – he can be a bit prickly at times – but he is a legend in Bradford golf and what he has done for the Union is phenomenal.

"We owe a great debt of honour to him and want him to accept these gifts as a token of our appreciation."

Bradford finished fourth in the Yorkshire Inter-District League last summer and Wade admitted in his annual report: "Last season was a bit of a learning curve for us."

He has been succeeded as team captain by Martin Gaffney, who started the 2016 campaign with a 19-17 victory over Halifax-Huddersfield that was full of character at Meltham.

The hosts finished third last year and were keen to avenge their defeat at Northcliffe at the end of the season which cost them the title.

Resplendent in their new kit, which helped to create a feel-good factor, Bradford began the match with Andy Busfield playing instead of Mark Cook, who had pulled out the night before due to worries over his form and nominated reserve Busfield as his replacement.

After six holes of the foursomes, Bradford were down in four and up in two.

Will Whiteoak (Shipley) and Calum Hey (Keighley) put the first points on the board for the home side, defeating Rob Hillas (Shipley) and Jack Laybourne (Bingley St Ives) by two holes.

But Nigel Colbeck (Cleckheaton) – whose three wood was effective – and Bairstow (Bingley St Ives) levelled matters with a 4&3 victory over Dan Hartley (Dewsbury) and Chris Lander (Halifax).

However, Halifax-Huddersfield won the next three, which meant that the last foursome involving Oliver Tasker (Cleckheaton) and Busfield (South Bradford) was even more crucial.

It was all-square after 16 but Halifax-Huddersfield put their ball into an unplayable position on the 17th at the base of a tree.

Tasker's safety-first option won them that hole and Halifax-Huddersfield then missed a four-foot putt for a tie on the last, leaving Bradford only 8-4 down.

The visitors were down in eight of the 12 afternoon singles after six holes and an overall win seemed unlikely after Hillas lost the last two holes to finish all-square and Bairstow was beaten 4&2 by Whiteoak.

However, victories for Colbeck over Hartley – Halifax-Huddersfield's leading points scorer in 2015 – and Terry Brushwood (Bingley St Ives), who holed a four-footer on the last, gave Bradford renewed hope.

Warren Kemp (Marriott Hollins Hall) won 4&2 by using his experience, despite regularly being outdriven by over 50 yards, but Bradford still needed to win eight of the last ten matches to triumph.

'The Great Houdini' Rob Malloy (Northcliffe) snatched a draw and victories followed for Ben Rhodes (Woodhall Hills), Busfield and Tasker, all without the need to play the last.

Bradford needed one more point and it was sealed in calm fashion by Chris Green (Cleckheaton), who rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt on the last for a half.

Bradford's next match is at home to Harrogate on Sunday, June 12 at West Bradford, with the team being selected after the Bradford Amateur Championship on the previous Sunday at Bingley St Ives.